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from What do clinical studies say?
APA Journal Article Discourages
Reorientation Therapy
Clients Should Be Persuaded to Embrace Unwanted Attractions. "Same Sex Desire Not Immoral," Authors Say, "or Pathological"
by Frank York
August 24, 2004 - Psychologists Jon S. Lasser and Dr. Michael C. Gottlieb
believe it is unethical for psychologists to attempt reorientation therapy or
even to refer patients to reorientation therapists. Paradoxically, however,
they encourage therapists to acknowledge "the plasticity of sexual orientation."
They would also approve reorientation therapy as a last resort if suicide is a
possible outcome.
Writing in the April, 2004, issue of Professional Psychology: Research And
Practice, (Vol. 35, No. 2., 194-200), Lasser and Gottlieb maintain that
psychologists who are confronted with individuals wishing to change their sexual
orientation should either 1) refuse to take such patients or 2) work to convince
them that bisexuality or homosexuality are normal variants of sexuality.
They believe "that same-sex desire is neither pathological nor immoral and that
efforts to change sexual orientation are generally unwarranted and may even be
harmful."
Lasser and Gottlieb note that if a psychologist is willing to work with a
patient who seeks to change his orientation, he should consider using the
therapeutic assessment model developed by Finn and Tonsager.
The authors present a case of a 20-year-old man who reported a typical
adolescence and dated girls. Eventually, he began having a sexual relationship
with an older man and later began having an affair with a woman. In using
therapeutic assessment with clients such as this one, the therapist can lead
them to "gain insight, reduce or eliminate distress, and accept themselves" as
bisexual. The goal is to show the client that his attraction to both sexes is
normal and healthy and he does not need reorientation therapy.
In a discussion of the ethical considerations involved in providing therapy for
a person who wishes to diminish his homosexuality and develop his heterosexual
potential, the authors state: "In our judgment, it is not appropriate for
practitioners to accept patients for treatment under such circumstances,
regardless of their good intentions."
However, in extreme cases, if the patient has been counseled by several
therapists and still wishes reparative therapy, he may be referred to someone
who believes in conversion therapy--but this is only as the last resort to avoid
a suicide and to respect patient autonomy.
The authors note that "At the present time, there is insufficient scientific
knowledge to fully explain the etiology of sexual orientation." Later, they urge
psychologists to reject "older models based on male paradigms, assumptions of
illness, and inflexible behaviors and attitudes," and to embrace "new models
[that] recognize the plasticity of sexual orientation [emphasis added], the
social context of sexuality, and differences between male and female sexuality."
Updated: 2 September 2008
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